PRINCE William returned to student life yesterday when he began a 10-week course in agricultural management at Cambridge University.

Trudging through a beautiful 16th century courtyard at St John's College in the rain, the Duke of Cambridge went off to meet some of the teaching staff who will oversee the bespoke course, designed to help prepare him for a future role as Prince of Wales in charge of the £763 million, 130,000 acre Duchy of Cornwall property empire.

William, 31, will have some of his tutorials at St John's, perhaps the grandest of Cambridge colleges where fellows are the only people outside the Royal Family legally allowed to eat unmarked mute swans, although he will not formally become a member of the college.

He travelled up to the ancient university city on the 9.44am train from London's King's Cross and, although he has been given a private place to stay in Cambridge, he is expected to make the 46-minute commute daily from Kensington Palace for much of the course so that he can see his wife Kate and their five-month-old son Prince George.

The second in line to the throne will have 18 to 20 hours of teaching time each week, including work in small groups as well as one-to-one tuition and his own additional reading. He will also go on a series of field trips.

Modules he is expected to study include rural and planning policy, farming and supply chains, site management, agricultural policy and conservation governance.

He will be taught by academics specialising in geography, land economy, and plant sciences in a tailor-made course costing several thousand pounds run by the university's Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

The Duke was greeted at St John's College, which was founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, by the university vice chancellor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz along with the master of St John's, Professor Christopher Dobson and Polly Courtice, director of the Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

St John's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six prime ministers of various countries, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three saints.

Other former students include the poet William Wordsworth, actor Sir Derek Jacobi, and darts commentator Sid Waddell.

The Duke will study at St John's College [GETTY]

Wearing a navy blue suit, William looked relaxed as he toured the college's grounds in the rain. He stopped to view a plaque commemorating the Queen's visit to St John's in April 2011 to celebrate its 500th anniversary.

His decision to study at Cambridge has caused controversy amongst the students, some of whom have complained that his A-Level results of A, B, and C made him not bright enough to be a student at the world-leading university.

He then went on to gain a 2.1 in geography from St Andrews University in 2005.

However, university officials have denied that he has been given special treatment and have insisted that his course is one of many commercial ones designed by the sustainability leadership programme for senior company executives and other individuals willing to pay.

Prof Ross Anderson, of Cambridge University’s Computer Laboratory, told the city's newspaper, the Cambridge News: "Colleagues and I sometimes organise special courses for people from industry who want to learn about the latest research in our field. For this we charge them money. Every academic has the right to do this, so it is completely unfair of people to criticise poor Borys (vice-chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz).”

He added: "Whether they have any A-levels at all is no more relevant than the price of tea in China."

William is leaving wife Kate and son George for a few days a week while he studies in Cambridge [REUTERS]

In spite of the controversy, many in Cambridge put out the welcome mat for the Duke. He has been offered a free tour of the city in a punt, the use of a helipad, advice on the best places to change Prince George's nappy, and a lift to Aston Villa matches from a Cambridge-based fellow fan, among a range of invitations from inhabitants anxious to get to know him.

One hotel, the Cambridge Quy Mill, has offered him the use of its helipad to ensure an easy commute. "We would be happy to let Prince William use our helipad. It would even be free of charge, on the condition he comes into the hotel for a cup of tea," said James Munro, the hotel's sales and marketing manager.

The second in line to the throne will also be happy to learn he is not the only Aston Villa supporter in the city. Ian Gray, 43, who works at King's College, Cambridge, set up a Villa supporters club in the city just before Christmas and has offered to give him a lift to matches.